Freeman c



(No Model.)

1-". G MERRILL.

PLOW.

No. 289,848. Patehte d Dec. 11, 1883.

FIGJ.

VENTOR M T]; Z

UNirn STATES ArrNir tries.

PLOW.

SPF-CIFICATIGN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 289,848, dated December11, 1883.

Application filed September 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREEMAN C. MERRILL, of South Paris, in the county ofOxford and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Flows; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation of my plow. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesection taken on the line as. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectiontaken on the line as. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken onthe line :0. Fig. 5 is a rear end view.

Same letters show like parts.

My invention relates to plows. The object of it is to produce aplow toturn alevel or fiat furrow, which will turn the furrow-slicebottom upand leave the plowed surface level.

The invention also aims to produce a plow of easy draft with a longfurrow-board and landsidehavinga firm set in the ground, along thread,and one that imparts a twisting and turning motion to the furrow-slice,that not only inverts it, as above set forth, but disintegrates it atthe same time.

The effects above described Iaccomplish by a combination or successionof curves formed along the board of the plow, and blending or runninginto each other in such way as to form a face to the board of thepeculiar curved form shown in the drawings. For the purpose ofillustrating the peculiar character and sequence of curves exhibited onthe face of the board of my improved plow, certain dotted lines havebeen made in the drawings at Fig. 1. The first series of these, a, aredrawn longitudinally of the board. These lines are parallel to eachother andhave no curvatures, either in vertical or horizontal planes.The face of the plowboard is so formed that any number of parallel linescan be drawn on it longitudinally of the board, and theywill all bestraight lines-that is, they will possess no curvature inwardly oroutwardlyi. 6., in horizontal planesor upwardly or downwardlyi. e., invertical planes. In other words, starting at any point on the line 00and drawing a horizontal line on the plow-board toward the rear end ofthe board, the line will be a straight line. Other dotted lines are seenin the drawings, intersecting the horizontal lines at angles for themost part acute, but varying in the degree of their acuteness. Theangles made by these diagonal lines approach more and more nearly toright angles as we go toward the rear of the board, until at the endthey are nearly, if not quite, right angles. Every one of these diagonalor slanting lines is a straight line. This combination of lines ishereby referred to and exclear the shape of the board onits exteriorsurface, as well as the method of working out the shape or pattern ofthe'board. By molding or cutting out the pattern on straight linesarranged relatively to each other as illustrated in the drawings, thedifferent but blending and united curves are produced which areillustrated at a: w m. It is, of course, to be understood that there arevery great numbers of gradations from the curves shown in the threesectional lines selected as illustrations in passing from one of theseto the other; but the correct formation to the pattern will be securedif the cutting and molding be pursued on straight lines similar to thoseportrayed in the drawings, Fig. 1. The slanting or diagonal lines areradii of a circle whose center is considerably below the bottom edge ofthe plow-board. The curvatures of the three lines a; w :0 indicate inoutline the general form of the board. The first curve is so made as topermit the furrow-slice to ride up freely on the board, and bending awayfrom the bottom edge, as it does, allows the slice to ascend quite highon the board. At the second line, however, adifferent curvature appears,whose influence is to throw over thetop edge of the slice,'so that theedge farthest from the land'when the slice Was cut off shall comenearest to the land and the whole slice be inverted. As the plow movesalong until the same portion of the slice has reached the point it nowbecomes inevitable that it must be turned completely bottom hibited inthe drawings in order to render165 side up. The supporting bottom edge,I), of

the board has both been cut away and curved in under the top edge, 0.The slice,thus hav- 2 acetate ing no support, is turned bottom side upand so left. From the point d a quick upward curve along the lower edgerapidly narrows the board and turns inwardly the said lower edge. Bythese successive and blending curves I secure the objects named.

Ihe plow is excellent in breaking up sward land in the spring; also forturning over old hay-fields for reseeding. The plow scours veryeffectively. Acting directly against the slice, as it does, to push orturn it over, the friction of this action keeps it perfectly clear, evenin sticky and clayey soils. The straight horizontal lines show the linesof contact of the board with the slice, and illustrate how comparativelyeasy the draft is rendered.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure Letters Patent, is-

FREEMAN G. MERRILL.

lVitnesses:

J. A. KENNEY, H. E. BONNEY.

